Summer Kimonos
by Aslickain Kiant
Summary: “…W-why do you care for me?” The question hung in the air. He wasn’t sure how to answer it; she wasn’t sure why she said it. What if he really DIDN’T care about her? i dont own rurouni kenshin or its characters. Mainly KxK, slight SxM. Rated T 4 language.


Me: Erm….hello. This is my little one-shot about Karou and Kenshin. I hope you like it! ^^

dontbeliveit1212: *rolls eyes* ugh…here we go again. Let me fix this for Aslickain. This is OUR little one-shot about Karou and Kenshin. And sadly…*tears* we don't own Rurouni Kenshin or the characters.

Me: ANYWAY, *sticks tongue out at believe* time for…….CHAPPY ROLL!!!

_*Love is the sweetest forum of chocolate, but the worst forum of hurt ~ Aslickain Kiant*_

"YAHIKO!!!!" Karou screamed at the top of her lungs when she saw the mess set before her. Yahiko had (she was guessing) gone into her room when she was talking a bath and had grabbed all of her kimonos. She was FURIOUS!

She had a towel wrapped around her and her midnight-black hair hung loose. Her usual cheerful self had totally changed. Everyone in the entire dojo could tell that Yahiko did something bad.

**To Yahiko….**

"Yahiko," Kenshin asked as he sat down, getting ready to sip some Chi Tea, "what did you do to make Karou-dono angery?"

Sano (thts sansoke - gomen if I spelled it wrong. Its 1:20 am here) smirked. "I bet he took something that's the little missy's. Something that is either A) REALLY important or B) her clothes."

Kenshin was surprised. _Would Yahiko really go so low to steal Karou-dono's possessions just to make her mad?_

Yahiko grinned a lopsided smile at Kenshin, as if he could read his mind. "I took her kimonos. I hid them in Kenshin's room," he declared to no one in particular.

Kenshin was clearly taken aback at the sudden turn of events.

Just then, they heard a sound outside the door. _BAM!_ There, in the middle of the doorway, stood Karou. She was so mad that her knuckles, holding the towel around her body, where turning white.

"Yahiko…" Karou's voice was suppressing anger, and she made her voice soft, making it seem even more deadly. "Yahiko, where did you put my kimonos?"

Keeping eye contact with everyone, she suddenly felt uneasy. So, instead, she looked at Yahiko's smirking face. Then, she got the same smirk from Sano. Finally, Karou looked at Kenshin's face.

"Oi, Kenshin?" Karou stepped closer to him until she was in his face, making him blush slightly. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing, Karou-dono." Kenshin replied quickly, A little _to_ quickly for the likes of Karou.

Karou leaned forward. She could tell that he was lying, he always stuttered. That was his weakness.

Taking his hand, Karou pulled him out of the room and into the hallway. She heard herself began to blabber as she made her way towards the boys room's, "come on Kenshin! See how pretty the sky is? Isn't it…"

Kenshin was surprised about the chatter. _Does Karou-dono always talk like this when she is nervous? _ All too soon, she stopped outside the door to Sano's room.

Turning to him, she asked, "did Yahiko put my kimonos in Sano's room?"

"N-no," Kenshin stuttered.

"Oh?" Karou raised a single eyebrow, still holding his hand. "Then, where is it?"

Looking to the ground, Kenshin murmured, "in my room."

"Nani?" she didn't believe it. "What did you say?"

Kenshin looked up, embarrassment plain on his face. "I said that your kimonos are in my room."

Karou was astonished. "WHY?!"

"You see…" Kenshin began to explain everything from when Yahiko first entered Sano's room (where the three boys where before Karou came into the room) and told up to where they where standing now.

Karou had a knowing look on her face. "Oh. I see…Gomen, Kenshin, for not believing you." Suddenly, she bowed, never letting go of his hand.

He looked at the bowing figure before him.

Shaking his head, Kenshin replied, "Karou-dono, its ok. You have nothing to be sorry for." Using the hand that was holding the other, he hoisted her up.

She looked up into the pale lavender eyes, filled with trust, pain, suffering, love, and determination to not be the manslayer he once was.

"Hai…arigatou," Karou smiled.

Gesturing with her one free hand, she said, "well? Are you going to take me to your room so I can get my kimonos or not?"

"Hai," he sighed. "Let me take you to my resting chamber."

**To Yahiko and Sano…**

"HA! Baka, you owe me 5,000 yen!" Yahiko screeched as Sano slumped down, dejected.

"No good thieving little twit…" Sano mumbled, annoyed that he lost yet another bet with the small boy.

Soon, everything became quiet. They where the only one's in the dojo, since Megumi left and everyone else in the dojo (excluding Sano and Yahiko) had begun their afternoon nap.

Yahiko sighed. "I can't believe that it's only about three in the afternoon. It was _way_ more fun to tease Karou than to sit around betting with the rooster-head here," he muttered to himself.

"HEY!" Sano yelled, hitting Yahiko on the head.

"OUCH! Sano, that hurt." Yahiko complained.

"Oi, quit your complaining and let's go back to the bet!"

"Humph. Fine, Sano, your on."

Grinning, Sano said, "first one to reach Megumi's wins!"

To witch, Yahiko replied, "you're on!"

**To Kenshin and Karou…**

"We are here, Karou-dono." Kenshin broke the silence between the two.

Standing outside Kenshin's door, Karou felt funny.

Opening the door, Karou was hesitant to say, "u-um……hey? I-is it ok for you to stay outside while I search Kenshin?"

Feeling a little surprised, Kenshin replied, "sure, Karou-dono." _What's she thinking?_

Silently, she thanked him and entered his room, shutting the rice door behind her.

Karou took a look around the lit room. There was a bed, a drawer, and, naturally, clothes.

_It HAS to be around here somewhere…_Karou thought.

Swiftly, she moved around the room. Then, something caught her eye on Kenshin's bed…

**To Kenshin…**

Kenshin was sitting outside his room, worrying about what she would see in there. He could hear movement inside, and he was wondering what she was doing inside his room at that very moment.

Suddenly, there came a scream from inside, "AH!"

Yanking the rice screen open, he yelled, "Karou-dono!"

He was surprised to see what he saw before his eyes. There, right in front of him, was Karou, in the middle of the floor. Her eyes where screwed shut and one hand was holding her ankle, the other still clutching the towel to her body. She seemed to be in harsh pain.

At the sight, Kenshin began to approach her cautiously.

"K-Karou-dono?" Kenshin asked timidly, almost afraid to see what was hurting the woman he lov-no. Shaking his head, he denied the thoughts in his mind. _I do not love Karou-dono. I don't, and I can't._

Opening her eyes, she squeaked, "Hai?"

Bending down, he grabbed her and held it. "Did you twist your ankle, Karou-dono?"

"Hai, I think I did. It hurts," she pointed to the spot where the skin was swelling, "about here."

Karou was astonished at Kenshin's next actions. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her towards him. Falling into his chest, she began to blush furiously.

"Now," he was enjoying the feel of Karou on him. Somehow, it felt…right. "What was hurting, Karou-dono?"

"M-my ankle."

He grabbed her ankle lightly, kissing it.

Murmuring against her skin, he said, "does it feel better?"

Looking quite startled, she timidly replied, "y-yes, it does. A-arigato Kenshin."

She looked into the eyes of the red-head Rurouni, and smiled.

"Kenshin?"

"Yes, Karou-dono?"

"I was wondering…" she trailed of, not quite sure how to voice her question.

"What is it?"

"…w-why do you care for me?"

**To Yahiko and Sano…**

"HA! I bet you Yahiko!" a sweat-covered Sano yelled. The younger boy was quite distressed, he had been sure he could beat the rooster-head.

Breathing hard, Yahiko snapped, "Well, it's not like you cheated when we began! You got a 10 second start!"

"Ya right!" Sano snorted.

"Cheater!"

"Loser!"

"Cheater!"

"Loser!"

"Che-"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE AT GOD-DAMN 3 IN THE AFTERNOON?!" screeched a voice they knew to well.

Sighing, Sano turned towards the red-hot face of Megumi.

"I would say gomen, but I just ran all the way here to say hi." He mumbled. Megumi knew that Sano _had_ come to say hi, as he had multiple times in the past. Sighing, she motioned him – along with Yahiko – to enter.

**To Kenshin and Karou…**

"…W-why do you care for me?" The question hung in the air. He wasn't sure how to answer it; she wasn't sure why she said it. What if he really DIDN'T care about her? Karou was almost certain she would die if she heard that.

Kenshin hesitated a second longer before answering. "Do you really wish to know, Karou-dono?" ((**hey, I made a rhyme xD))**

Karou took a deep breath. "Yes."

Kenshin prayed that he would be able to show, if he could not, voice his statement. "…The reason I care for you, Karou-dono is because…." He hesitated, afraid he wouldn't be able to finish, but mustered up all of his courage. "…Because I love you."

**To Megumi, Yahiko, and Sano…**

Sano put down his copsticks, and said, "arigato, Megumi."

She stopped tending to Yahiko's foot **((I decided to make him hurt it. ^^ Gomen 4 being mean, but I just had 2 xD)) **and smiled at him before turning back around.

Sano looked at Megumi. He loved the way she was. He loved her hair, the way she would display her emotions in her eyes, the way she seemed to take care of every person, and dammit, he loved everything about her!

She felt eyes on her back, and called over her shoulder, "are you just going to keep staring at me, or are you going to get off your lazy ass and help?"

Snickering, he replied, "as soon as you get of yours," witch earned him a smack in the face.

He leaned down, and looked at the clear blue sky before falling into a blissful sleep…

**To Kenshin and Karou**

She didn't believe it. Kenshin – the one who had been married to his old love, Tomoe, who had died by his own hand – loved _her_, Karou.

"D-do you really mean it, Kenshin?" She whispered, caressing his face.

Taking her hand, he kissed it and murmured, "Hai, ai shi teru."

Blushing, she replied, "Ai shi teru, Kenshin." She bent down and brushed her lips once against his. The sweetest of kisses. Startled, was he, but he returned the kiss. At that moment, Karou's summer kimonos where forgotten. All that mattered was each other. As afternoon turned into night, either noticed the difference as they sailed into there own, blissful world.

**Me: Oro? xD did you like it???**

**Believe: I have to admit, Aslickain, it WAS pretty good.**

**Me: why, thankxies, believe ^^ anyway, I hope u add this story 2 your fave's list, Rate, Review, and all that jazz! ^^**

**Both: thanks for reading ****Summer Kimonos**** and have a good day!**


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